Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?

A Novel

De: Crystal Smith Paul

Narrado por: Ariel Blake, Kineta Kunutu, Lynnette Nicholas

REESE'S BOOK CLUB MAY 2023 PICK

A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz

When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions.

A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty’s affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty’s journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal could—and between a cheating fiancé and the fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty.

The truth behind Kitty's ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the segregated South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them.

As Elise digs deeper into Kitty's past, she must also turn the lens upon herself, confronting the gifts and burdens of her own choices and the power that the secrets of the dead hold over the living. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a sprawling thriller set against the backdrop of the Hollywood machine, an insightful and nuanced look at the inheritances of family, race, and gender—and the choices some women make to break free of them.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company.

©2023 Crystal Smith Paul (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Only one complaint...

Powerful story that must be told. I was bawling for these characters who had to make impossible choices. But don't get the Audible. This one needs to be read.
The reason is the voice actress reading for Elise sounds like she doesn't understand commas- kind of like when a robot reads, but with heart.
She kept emphasizing syllables and words kind of "off". Like Chandler Bing on Friends, if that makes sense.
The other voice actors were absolutely perfection.
I ordered the hardback and can't wait to read it!

Captivating story

I enjoyed listening to this story unfold. I thought the ending was a little anti-climactic however. I preferred the narration of Kitty’s story more than that of Elyse’s.

Great story with a few downsides

Loved the story told by Kitty, but Elise's storyline wasn't as good. Also, the Elise narrator was annoying to be honest, especially because she pronounced 'aks' instead of 'ask' several times throughout the book.

Great-ish

Not “great” over all, but “better than good” story…parts I loved and learned from. Narration was hard to not be bored through.

Lots of characters

Slow to start because the descriptions of all the sisters and their names was tricky to follow and made a listener feel disconnected. Loved Kitty’s narrator, especially how she said “no”. Enjoyed learning things I didn’t know!

White Passing

Loved historical aspects of kitty’s life; modern day aspects of Elise’s could have been omitted.

Not that thrilling

This was a slow read for me. I found myself wishing it was the end. Esp. The present day chapters.

I loved the story despite not loving the narrators!

I loved this story and it is my favorite fiction I’ve read this year. I know this is not as fiction as we think. As a family historian, I have my own connection to people who had to make hard decisions for their time in this country. I may read the hard cover too but I highly recommend adding this to your reading list! Loved Hazel and Kitty journeys and would love to read a spin off of the lives of others. My only complaint besides not loving the narrator for Elise is there are so many women characters and it is hard to keep up with who is who in 2017 and pre-1965. I had to re listen to a chapter or two and write down the names that flow through the novel! Overall, I LOVED it!

Kitty part great, other portions not.

Overall performance seemed forced and low quality. Kitty part of the story was good. Had to make myself listen through the Elise narrative just to find out about Kitty. Really wished I had read this instead of listened due to poor quality of the Elise character.

Well done!

I loved the story and was totally intrigued until the end. Highly recommend this novel!